Method of electrically treating ores of nickel, &amp;c.



N0. 65|,7|8. Patented 1m I2, 1900. H. LELEUX. METHOD OF ELEGTRICALLYTREATING ORES 0F NICKEL, &G.

(Application filed Jung 1L2, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI LELEUX, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO LA COMPAGNIE ELECTRO-METALLURGIQUE DES PROOEDES GIN ET LELEUX, OF SAME PLACE.

,lVlETHOD OF ELECTRICALLY TREATING ORES OF NICKEL, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651 ,718, dated June12, 1900.

Application filed June 12,1899. Serial No. 720,239. (No model.)

T aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRI LELEUX, a citizen of France, residing atParis, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Treatment of the Ores of Nickel, Cobalt, Silver, Lead, andCopper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved method for electrically treatingnickel, cobalt, silver, lead, and copper ores whereby a considerableeconomy as compared with the modes of treatment now in use may beeffected. Although the means of extraction of these metals varyconsiderably according to the richness of the ores and the nature of thegangues, they always comprise a series of roastings and fusions inthemselves expensive and rendered still more so by the addition offluxes and by the formation of mattes of subsulfids which have to befurther treated.

My invention, which is applicable to ores of various compositions,consists in introducing into an electric resistance-furnace electrodesof a metal whose heats of combination with the ores which contain themetals to be liberated are higher than those of these latter metals.Under these conditions the function of the electric current, which maybe continuous or alternating, consists simply in supplying the amount ofenergy necessary to bring the ore to such a temperature as to effect thereaction, the substitution of the metal of the electrodes then takingplace spontaneously without the current intervening otherwise than toprepare and facilitate this substitution and to permit of the continuityof the operations. Let us suppose in order to simplify the explanationsthat it is a question of dealing with argentiferous ga- 0 lena. All thatwill be said will apply equally well to a simple or complex ore ofcopper or nickel containing these -metals or analogous metals combinedwith sulfur, arsenic, or antimony. It is useless, and this is animportant point to bring out, to subject the ore to any preliminaryfusion or roasting. Let us subject this ore to igneous fusion in anelectric furnace, wherein it will form a resistance between theelectrodes, which will be of iron, for the application now underconsideration.

The sulfureted, arseniureted, and antimoniureted compounds of lead,silver, copper, and nickel will be decomposed by the iron at thetemperature generated by the electric current. The iron will liberatethese metals at the same time as it will form sufid, sulfarsenids, andsulfantimonids. As all these reactions of the type MS+Fe:FeS-|M comprisean exothermic disengagement, the amount of electric energy to be broughtinto play will be very little and will correspond only to theexpenditure of heat necessary to bring the ore to and to maintain it inthe state of fusion, allowance being made for the calorific gainresulting from these exothermic reactions. On the other hand, even ifthe cost of the energy is somewhat high the operation will leave asatisfactory profit, owing to the intrinsic value of the liberatedmetals, whose equivalent weights, moreover, are greater than that of themetal consumed in the form of electrodes. In order to complete theseexplanations and so that my invention may be better understood, I givehereinafter, by way of example, the description of an electric furnacewherein I effect the treatment of ores; but it is to be understood thatthe present invention does not reside in the construction of the furnacedescribed, as it may be carried out in any other suitably-arranged elec-8o tric furnace.

The annexed drawing represents a trans verse section of the furnace.

The furnace comprises, essentially, a mov able iron electrode a,receiving the current through the stranded cable I), and a fixedelectrode 0, having a projection d for connection with the cable e forthe return of the current.

The electrode a, forming the hearth, must go be so chosen that at thetemperature of reaction, which depends upon the nature of the metal ormetals to be liberated, there cannot be produced a combination or analloy between such metal or metals and the material 5 of the hearth. Themost simple plan is evidently to take the same metal for the lowerelectrode as that which is tobe produced; butfor metals incapable offorming carburized combinationssuch as lead, silver, or cop- 10o peracarbon hearth may advantageously be employed. In the drawing I haveshown an arrangement for the most complicated casethat in which the oreof nickel is to be treated. In this case'the hearth is faced withnickel, and the lower part is of cast-steel and is so arranged that acirculation of Water can be established therein, cold water enteringthrough the pipe f and leaving through the pipe g. The wall of thefurnace is constituted of refractory masonry h of bauxite bricks. Theupper arch is provided with openings t, communicating with thefeed-hopper 70 for the ore. These openings may be closed by slides toprevent the gaseous products escaping into the air. At the lower part ofthe crucible the brickwork is provided with orifices 071., leadinginto-a collecting-passage 71, through which the Volatilized matters(arsenic, sulfid of arsenic, arsenid of iron, rive.) pass into thecondensation-chamber 0, wherein they are collected. A small quantity ofcoarselybroken ore is thrown into the furnace, the current is switchedon, and a bath is formed in which the reactions above indicated areimmediately produced. The metals freed by the iron unite at the bottomof the bath,while the sulfid or arsenid of iron floats 011 the surface.The feeding is continued at suitablyregulated intervals, and when themetallic esims bath has attained a certain thickness the taphole 19 isopened and the metal run into an ingot-mold.

What I claim as my invention is The herein-described method ofelectrically treating nickel, cobalt, silver, lead, and copper ores, forobtaining the required metal without any preliminary roasting or fusion,which consists in placing the ore to be treated into contact withelectrodes of a metal whose heats of combination with the non-me tallicconstituents of the ore which contains the metal to be liberated arehigher than the heats of the said metal to be liberated, and thenpassing through said electrodes and ores an electric current acting onlyas a source of heat for bringing the ore to such a temperature as tocause the suitably-chosen metal of one of the electrodes to unite, byexothermic reaction, with the metals that are associated with theparticular metal to be liberated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit= nesses.

HENRI LELEUX.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MAOLEAN, ALFRED FREY.

